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Wauwatosa sustainability committee reports 7.2% drop in purchased electricity but recycling rates remain below 30%
Summary
Rob Zimmerman, chair of the Wauwatosa Sustainability Committee, reported a 7.2% reduction in purchased electricity for city operations in 2025, a 0.2% net increase in municipal scope 1 and 2 emissions versus 2024 but a 42% decline from 2010 levels, and flagged that recycling-to-waste ratios remain under 30% and require continued outreach.
Rob Zimmerman, chair of the Wauwatosa Sustainability Committee, presented the committee’s 2025 review, highlighting staffing gains, energy metrics, outreach and climate resilience priorities.
Zimmerman said the city hired Meghan Conway as its first sustainability manager in March 2025 and that Conway is now the committee’s primary staff liaison. The committee identified four workstreams for 2025—policy recommendations, interdepartmental partnerships, resident and business engagement, and improved data collection—and said the new staff capacity will help coordinate those efforts.
On energy and emissions, Zimmerman reported that purchased electricity for city operations decreased by 7.2% in 2025 compared with 2024, attributed in part to added on‑site solar at city facilities. He said natural gas use rose (noting several colder months) and that gasoline and diesel use for the fleet increased about 5%; the net effect was a 0.2% increase in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions versus 2024 but still a 42% reduction relative to a 2010 baseline.
Zimmerman also briefed the committee on residential solar activity tied to the Grow Solar Milwaukee program: 36 new installations totaling about 270 kilowatts were enabled regionally, three of which were in Wauwatosa, and the city offered 15 solar permit fee waivers that were quickly claimed. The fee waiver program for 2026 was renewed and reopened the week of the meeting.
The committee flagged waste diversion as an area of concern: recycling‑to‑waste ratios have been under 30% for six years and are slowly decreasing. Zimmerman said the committee will continue outreach on recycling, composting and the city’s waste wizard tool, and will refine messaging and partnerships in 2026.
Zimmerman closed by addressing the August 2025 torrential rainfall and flooding, noting upstream measurements reported more than 14 inches in a single day and that regional partners including MMSD helped reduce downstream impacts; he urged integrating mitigation strategies for flooding, heat and invasive species into planning and infrastructure decisions.
The Community Affairs Committee thanked the sustainability committee and requested the written report promised in April.
